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Free Spirit Experience Gap Year in Israel and Italy

Free Spirit Experience Gap Year in Israel and Italy

Free Spirit: where change is inspired by challenge and choice
Free Spirit Experience
4.5 · 10 reviews
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Free Spirit Experience

 4.5 · 10 reviews
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Location
Multiple Locations +2
  • Israel
  • Italy
    • Rome
Length
12 - 52 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Internships Post-High School Wilderness

Program Details

Activities
Camping City Exploring Kayaking
Timeframe
Academic Year Fall Spring
Housing
Apartment Hostel
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
22

Pricing

What's Included
Accommodation Activities Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Equipment Meals Park Fees Tour Guide Transportation Travel Insurance
What's Included (Extra)

All programming and ongoing support

What's Not Included
Airfare Some Meals
What's Not Included (Extra)

Parents' visit and family activities (optional)

Jan 11, 2021
Dec 29, 2025
Wish List
23 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Free Spirit offers a unique experience in Israel and Italy, filled with adventures, work experiences, and cultural-immersion community living.

Your first semester starts with Kibbutz living, tours and trips in Israel, a 5-day sailing expedition to Cyprus, individual guidance and support, and social and group forming activities. We then move to Italy for 4 weeks of exploration and various work experiences: Pizzeria, Organic Farm-to-Restaurant-Table work, Social Activism, and more.

For your second semester, you may choose from many internship options, or build your own internship in Israel or Italy: "Ulpan" experience (intensive Hebrew learning), farming, high-tech internships, work with refugees in Tel-Aviv, "Marva" - military training for non-Israelis, and any of the Italian experiences. These vary in settings, social contexts, and levels of structure and support - all to fit your wishes and needs.

You may come for one or two semesters, and opt to stay for the summer.

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Program Highlights

  • Find your passion through many experiences and opportunities
  • Cultural immersion in Israel and Italy
  • Adventures for lifetime memories: Kibbutz life, Sailing on the Mediterranean, Italy and Italian cooking...
  • Developing independence step by step
  • An ideal balance between support-structure and independence-freedom

Video and Photos

Group huddle
Sunset selfie
At the Kotel
Guitar on sailboat
Desert Arch
Blacksmith
I can fly!
Sailboat
Cyprus lovers point
Sailboat
Sailing to Cyprus
Dragon Boat in Italy
Working at a vineyard in Italy
Dog training
Hug
Projects on the Kibbutz - Welding
Buggies in Cyprus
Agia Napa bay
A view out of the hostel in Italy
Dragon boat - war canoe in Italy
Our Young Adult Mentors for the summer
Making Ravioli is devine
When in Rome...
Biking in northern Israel
Fire starting workshop
Rafting in northern Israel
Another group hug
Serious sailing on the Mediterranean
Chilling in the Mediterranean
Yam-El-Yam hike in northern Israel
Off-roading searching for the night life of the Golan
Crazy fun on the river
Horse ride near the kibbutz
group hug
activity in Italy
Sunset on lake
Bushcraft experience
Walking in to the wood
Dragon Boat
Daily life in our community
working the carded wool
working the carded wool
carded wool
carded wool
Rome by walk
Colosseum
Rome
Farm
Working in farm
Shop experience
Cooking dessert
Cooking
Chef time
Dessert
Attention to detail with the chef
Class waiters
Watch out the plate
Working in farm
Harrow
Harrow
Pizza's time
Coffe?
Florence by night
Walking by florence
Chill a bit
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
Uffizi
Uffizi
The art to understand
Sculpture
Contemplation
Feel free
A look from the bedroom
In the farm
Pizza
Pizza
Italian cuisine in detail
Lasagna
Work hard

View All Photos

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Program Reviews

4.50 Rating
based on 10 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 80%
  • 4 rating 10%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 10%
  • Housing 4.3
  • Support 4.5
  • Fun 4.4
  • Value 4.3
  • Safety 4.3
Good for Under 18, Solo Travelers, Students
Showing 9 - 10 of 10 reviews
Ava
27
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

10/10

Dec 30, 2019

I am so grateful for this program. It helped me find the ability within myself to deal with and manage conflict, anxiety, and what is important to have healthy relationship. It also gave me the opportunity to discover what I am truly passionate about and taught me that I have the tools in my life to make an effort to achieve my goals. I would absolutely recommend this program to a friend or family member. I hope whoever reads this, reads it with an open mind and won’t be afraid to take a chance and try to better themselves which in turn will better those around them.

What would you improve about this program?
I feel as if this program had such a large impact on my life and I don’t feel as if anything should be altered. I do not think that this program needs any sort of improvement as it was extremely beneficial
194 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Sunny days on the kibbutz
Jacob
27
United States
4/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Hi

Dec 30, 2019

It was fun but the group wasn’t. I learned more about myself. I learned how to solve problems and work on myself ant the same time. The activities were fun but the hikes were not. It was an experience I’ll learn from but something I’ll never do again. It gave me so light and understanding of who I should surround myself around and where I thrive in life. It was good and hard at the same time. It gave me life experience that I hadnt had but also allowed me to work on aspects of my life that I worked on before.

What would you improve about this program?
The group dynamic was not good and you need to work on how the group gets along. I would work on the way the hikes are done
114 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

About Free Spirit Experience

Free Spirit’s Gap Year And Young Adult program: Experience Israel and Italy... the best of both worlds Young adults, ages 18-24 are welcomed to apply to our unique Free Spirit experience: Kibbutz life at its best, with a vibrant community, many opportunities, and just the right amount of support and structure not to hinder on your independence...

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